Students are LMC?s bugbear!

LUCKNOW UNIVERSITY students continue to grab hoardings outside the campus, but LMC bosses can’t do anything about it.

Why? Because they are afraid of the ‘well-connected’ students, despite having a High Court order on their side. Some of the officials openly admitted this and counted out the loss the corporation was incurring due to all-powerful hoarding grabbers.

“Last year we declared the university road as no-hoarding zone. But, student leaders have put up their hoardings. Not only this, they have even occupied other hoardings to the advertisers chagrin,” said an official of the LMC on the condition of anonymity and added, “We had fined student leaders for violating LMC norms. But, no student leader paid a single penny. We wrote a number of times to the Lucknow University V-C for the recovery of fine from the students.

But, the exercise has proved to be futile.”

Municipal commissioner Ram Bodh Maurya says, “I can only talk to the student leaders to respect the high court order. I will also write to the university administration to take action against such student leaders. But, what if they don’t respond to us?” During the last student elections, the LMC had sent the list of nearly 21 student leaders who were fined by the LMC for grabbing hoardings and defacing of the walls. But, nothing happened. The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court passed an order  last year, directing that poll-related material like graffiti, poster, banners , hoardings that currently cover all available space across the city, including buses—be removed.

Notices were issued to the university authorities, students and the Lucknow Municipal Corporation to clean the walls. The court had also ordered cancellation of nomination of such candidates found defacing the walls.

Given the number of similar writings, posters and banners across the city this year, it is doubtful that the students are in a mood to honour the HC directives.

LU proctor Dr AN Singh has asked the students to remove such hoardings, banners, posters and graffiti by Thursday. “The University will file an FIR against such student leaders, who  place their hoardings, posters, graffiti and banners  or deface the walls with the wall writings,” said Singh.